Interacting leaflet dispenser and leaflet



March 6, 1962 E. L. STEIN INTERACTING LEAFLET DISPENSER AND LEAFLET INVENTOR. ELMEE 4. SrE/M Md, Mam

United States Patent Ofiice 3,023,929 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 3,023,929 INTERACTEIG LEAFLET DISPENSER AND LEAFLET Elmer L. Stein, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Eye-Beam Displays, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 690,069 6 Claims. (Cl. 221-47) This invention relates to an interacting leaflet dispenser and leaflet.

The leaflet comprises two or more pages joined along one margin by a fold. The dispenser engages the margins of one of the pages and comprises means for forcing outwardly the free margin of another page to facilitate the grasping of the leaflet and its withdrawal from the dispenser. Desirably, one of the pages is less wide than the other, thus assuring that its margin will be free to be forced out to grasping position as above described.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the dispenser comprises a single sheet of material which may be used either horizontally or vertically, and the edges of the retained pages of successive leaflets will be disposed in notches in opposing margins of the dispensing web, the opposed margins being closer together than the normal width of the engaged pages, thereby requiring these pages to be bowed outwardly for forcing the free margins of the other pages into grasping position. In addition, the web providing the dispenser may have a convex surface between the notches, making it impossible to insert the leaflets in any manner other than that which produces the desired result.

A further feature which is not essential but is very desirable from a practical standpoint is the provision of notches in the ends of the leaflet which engage the web which provides the dispenser, thus interlocking the several leaflets with the dispenser to preclude endwise displacement of the leaflets from engagement in the notches of the dispenser.

The device is particularly suited for use in markets and the like where the dispenser can be placed beneath cans on a shelf to project from the edge of the shelf and to support the leaflets in a forward position where they will be accessible conveniently to persons interested in the goods in the cans. However, there are many other ways in which the dispenser can be made and used.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the dispenser and mounted leaflets positioned for use on a shelf which is fragmentarily illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dispenser and mounted leaflets.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the dispenser alone.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the leaflet alone.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective showing the leaflet opened, portions thereof being broken away.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the dispenser generically designated by reference character 6 comprises a single web or sheet of wood, cardboard, plastic or metal or the like. It may be made in any thickness but is desirably thin in order to economize on material.

The portion 7 of the web or sheet is defined by cuts which form the margins 9 and 10, folding being accommodated by a score line 11. The margins 9 and 10 diverge from the end margin 12 of the dispenser 6 toward the score line 11. They are desirably formed to provide rounded retaining corners at 13 and 14 behind which there are notches, a broad notch being provided at 15 and a narrower V-shaped notch being provided at 16. These notches are closer together than the over-all flat width of the leaflets hereinafter to be described.

Each leaflet generically designated by reference character 20 comprises at least two pages 21 and 22 integrally connected and defined by folding a single sheet of paper on the line 23. The length of the portion of intervening between dispenser margins 9 and 10 is slightly less than the length of page 21 to leave margin 24 free. A hole punched at 25 across the fold line 23 provides a notch when the pages are folded as shown in FIG. 4. A semicircular notch is provided at 26 in the margin 27 of the longer page 21.

A number of leaflets 20 can be inserted behind the shoulders 13 and 14 in the manner clearly indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the margins 27 of the longer pages 21 being engaged in the V-shaped notch 16 of the dispenser and the folded portions 23 of the several leaflets being engaged in the broader notch 15. Since the length of pages or leaves 21 is greater than the clearance between the margins 9 and 10 of the dispenser, the leaflets can be inserted only by bowing them in the manner indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. They can only be bowed outwardly because the margin of the dispenser represented by the score line 11 and the flap 7 precludes the leaflets from bending rearwardly. Thus they are required to be bowed in such manner as to be outwardly convex.

The outward convexity of the leaflets throws outwardly the free margins 24 of the shorter leaves 22, thus facilitating the grasping of the free margin 24 of each successive leaflet by interested consumers. The withdrawal of the exposed leaflet results in the outward projection of the free margin 24 of the leaf 22 of the next successive leaflet, each in turn being projected to grasping position as the preceding leaflet is withdrawn.

In the preferred use, the dispenser sheet 6 is placed flat upon a shelf such as that shown at 28 and it may be anchored, if desired, by superimposing cans 29 thereon. This is optional, since the dispenser will ordinarily remain in position without being loaded.

The dispenser may also be used in a vertical plane rather than a horizontal plane. Particularly when it is used in a horizontal plane as shown, it is desirable to keep the leaflets from slipping downwardly from engagement in the notches 15 and 16. To this end, the leaflets are interlocked with the dispenser by engaging the notches 25 and 26 with the margins 9 and 10 of the dispenser, thus maintaining all of the leaflets aligned with each other in the dispenser.

While reference has been made to the shoulders 13 and 14, it will be observed that due to the rearward divergence of the margins 9 and 10 behind such shoulders, the leaflets at the rear of the stack will remain securely anchored in the dispenser until withdrawn therefrom, notwithstanding removal of those leaflets initially closest to the rounded shoulders 13 and 14.

In practice, a wide variety of different embodiments have been made and tested, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown.

I claim:

1. A leaflet dispenser comprising an elongated sheet planiform throughout a major portion of its length and provided at one end with projecting portions in the plane of the said sheet spaced to receive leaflets to be dispensed, said projecting portions having leaflet retaining means including opposed margins provided with opposite lateral notches, the said margins having rounded corners leading into the respective notches, with leaflets disposed at right angles to the plane of said sheet and comprising long and short leaves joined at one side of the leaflet in abutment with a notched margin of one of the projecting portions of said sheet, the other end of each long leaf engaging the margin of the other said projecting portion of the sheet, and each shorter leaf having a free end which terminates short of engagement with said other projecting sheet portion.

2. The combination with a leaflet dispenser comprising an elongated sheet planiform throughout a major portion of its length and having at one end laterally spaced portions projecting in the plane of the sheet, of leaflets disposed at right angles to the plane of the sheet and comprising long and short leaves joined at one side of the leaflet in abutment with one of the projecting portions of the sheet, the other end of each long leaf engaging the other said projecting portion of the sheet, and each shorter leaf having a free end which terminates short of engagement with said other projecting sheet portion, both ends of the long leaf of each leaflet being notched at the level of said plane and the said projecting portions of the sheet having margins engaged in the notches of the margins of said long leaf.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the projecting portions of the sheet have opposed lateral notches in which the notched ends of the long leaves of the respective leaflets are confined.

4. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which each leaflet has a fold integrally joining its long leaf and its short leaf, one of the aforesaid notches of the long leaf intersecting said fold intermediate the ends thereof.

5. The combination with a leaflet dispenser comprising an elongated sheet planiform throughout a major portion of its length and having at one end laterally spaced portions projecting in the plane of the sheet, of leaflets each comprising a sheet of paper folded off center to provide a long leaf and a short leaf, the fold of each such leaflet being engage-d with one of said projecting portions and each such long leaf having its end opposite said fold engaged with the other of said projecting portions, the length of each long leaf exceeding the space between said projecting portions and the long leaves of the leaflet being bowed outwardly between said projecting portions, the short leaves of the respective leaflets having free ends opposite said fold and the free end of each successive leaflet exposed between said projecting portions being projected outwardly by the bowed form of each long leaf.

6. The combination set forth in claim 5 in which each such leaflet is provided with a notch intersecting its fold and in which one of said projecting portions is engaged and with a notch at a like level at the end of its long leaf opposite the fold and with which the other of said projecting portions is engaged.

.References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 691,294 Schilz Jan. 14, 1902 1,122,108 Hamilton Dec. 23, 1914 1,307,443 Irwin June 24, 1919 1,490,070 Korth Apr. 8, 1924 1,813,059 Lee July 7, 1931 1,844,468 Fischer Feb. 9, 1932 2,142,808 Thor Jan. 3, 1939 2,150,802 Latsch Mar. 14, 1939 2,198,176 Perrin Apr. 23, 1940 2,498,413 Glass Feb. 21, 1950 2,513,474 Greer July 4, 1950 2,623,632 Mellor Dec. 30, 1952 2,640,288 Orlin June 2, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 88,478 Sweden Feb. 9, 1937 

